Coil inner tube spacer



`March 3, 1959 R. J. LA VALLEY COIL INNER TUBE SPACER- Filed Jan. 24, 1957 l N VEN TOI? Pouf/vr Josef# LA l//msv M/ TH 0mm fw/s JMW/1f Affe/@News Patented Mar. 3,

2,875,987 CfL mesma Robert Joseph-La Vvantageintentie, Mien., assignin- -fo- American Radiator & Standard New York, Nt Y.

Application January 24; 19s'7,s'eria1Nb. 636,03s aclantis.v (ci. 257-454) Thepresent invention relates to a tube` assembly wherein one tube is carried in space i ano-ther tube, and to a tube spacer element for use in this. assembly.

It is common l'jacticefin heatv exchangers or heating coils topositidnone' tube in spaced relation withinv another tube. The' latter' may yor. may` not Y me perm-1arte iffef ab@ whilealowing such new @ma This'ca' 'be' accomplished by supporting .the .inner itube tfe ends, but such anarrangement.isundesirable `fr 'ojin both' the, per'ation andcost standpoint; forti the standpoint ofUopeationg it is not satisfactory.

that the in er" tubeV willliv'e.adiferentexpansion than the outer 'tube causingv the 'nY er tube, to sag'whichiii turn may' result in uneven cause the orifices on the bottoni of the inner tube to be dosed br/Canta?? or naar; @Qantas-tenue.the-.outer tube. Thus, in "Jr'd'ierffto'a .these unde rable Vconditions it is found necessary7 to support thinnertube intermediate ....cmtr rltwv.. .1 ...i :a: I,

Nations rneanshavebeen utilizedltospport tle iie'r tube at spaced intervals along its length, but such means have proved to be relatively high in material cost as well as inthe labor cost required to assemble the heating coils.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved tube assembly wherein inner and outer tubes can be assembled in coaxial and radially spaced apart relation by use of a relatively simple, low cost spacer element which will operate to maintain the tubes in uniformly spaced relation throughout all conditions of o-peratio-n.

It is ano-ther object ofthe present invention to provide a spacer element for use in spacing coaxially disposed inner and outer tubings, said spacer element being formed from a loop of resilient wire or similar material adapted to lit between said tubes.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a spacer element of the foregoing character wherein the wire loop is formed so as to have three circumferentially equally spaced points of contact on the inner tube and three similarly spaced points of contact on the outer tube, the two sets of contact points 'being out of phase by approximately sixty degrees (60) to provide a balanced support between said tubes.

Sanitary Corporation;

d relation within" bea-.armed mbe... as desired. yA rheating medium s 'chas steam may ybe introduced into one Aend `f the.inne r tubeA forpassage problems y arise1 in cfistiiuctifon` and use of heat'. distribution and- 4may 2 Othrpbjects of this invention willj appear in .the folld'wfing description and `appended claims, reference' .beinghad tothe accompanying drawings. forming a part of this specicationlwherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

I n the drawings: i i, 1 .l Figure 1 is an elevation o-f one embodiment ofthe spacer element shown in a verticalv plane; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a tube assembly with the spacer element of Fig. 1 mounted in an operative posit-ion; and

Fig; 3 is a section taken on the'` line 3-'-3 of Fig. 2. B'efo'reexplaining the present invention in. detail; itis to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsA applicationto the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the invention being practiced or carried loutin various ways.A Also;y it is` vto be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of limitation- Referring no-W to the drawings, a.morev detailedv description of the invention will be given.4 'The spacer element 1'0 fmay be made from wire, vand a suitable ma` teri'al is spring tempered brass wire.- The spacer element 10 is formed in anysuitable manner into the shape shown 1 which' illustrates the shape of the spacer elemel 10W/hen yin'ithe.plane of the assembled in place inthe tube` assembly 1 2. 4The latter,.- fdt c purpose o f this description,

consists of the spacer eminent iogtneirmer mbe-14am the outerfub' i6., y

The-outer tubel 16 is irriperfo-rate,a1id if desired; f

have--coil'-ns (not shown) 4on' itsV outer sbrfa'ceh The inner tube 14 may have aperturesor oricies 1 8 .unifo'rm'fl ly :spaced along itsv botto-m surface through'lwhich' fluid,` suchv as steam -or condensate; maypas's from the'inne tube 14' into the outer tube A series of apertures 20 extending longitudiriallyalog the1 upper surface ofthe inner tube 14 at substantially uri-iformly spaced intervalsfor mounting the pluralityof spacer ,elements 10. Itis to be understood'that aper` tures 18 and120 need not bein separate seriesl andtiri practice it is contemplated arranging the apertures'. 120 degrees apart and at longitudinal intervals.. A limited few' of such apertures will thenqbe usedlfor.mountingI spacer elern'eits105` and the 'remainder of the apertures will perform the function of apertures'lS.

A's seen" in Fig. 1, thespacer' element.. from' a' singlerpiec'e* of wir'bent'" at the riiddl'e t6 Yfofm an external contact point 22 at the bottom of a V-shaped portion. The upper extremities o-f the V-shaped portion are turned inwardly toward one another to form external contact points 24 and 26. The terminal ends are then bent inward and together to form the tongue 28 which is adapted to t into one of the apertures 20, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and forms an internal point of contact for the inner tube 14. Two other internal contact points are provided at 30 and 32 in the V-shaped portion for receiving the inner tube 14.

It Will be observed that the three internal contact points 28, 30 and 32 are spaced circumferentially approximately degrees apart so that they provide a three point support for the inner tube 14. The external contact points 22, 24 and 26 are also spaced circumferentially approximately 120 degrees apart, but are 60 degrees out of phase with the internal contact points 22, 24 and 26. Such externall and internal contact points engage the outer and inner tubes respectively to maintain a uniform spaced relation therebetween.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the spacer elements 10 are all inclined to the vertical. This occurs because a circle passing through the contact points 22, 24 and 26 is larger the accompanying drawings, since` is capable ofother .embodiments and of'n of descriptiony anclV not drawingand before it. is

16, and may' have a second` .iS formell,

than the internal diameter of outer tube 16. In assembly, after the spacer elements have been passed over the inner tube 14 and the tongues 28 have been inserted in the apertures 20, the innertube 14 may be inserted into the outer tube 16 causing' the bottom contact points 22 to be pushed to one side.

properties of the spacer elements 10 will cause rm contacts to be made at the six contact points described above, thereby maintaining the inner and outer tubes in uniformly spaced relation. Furthermore, it can be seen that different rates of expansion of the two tubes will not in any way affect the supporting of the inner tube 14 within the outer tube 16, because the spacer .members 10 v are free to slide on outer tube 16.

From the foregoing it will be understood that relatively low cost spacer elements 10 are provided which can be assembled in place in a simple manner. Also, 'if desired, the apertures can be with apertures 18 so that both apertures can be drilled in a single operation. The tube assembly can be put together with no adjustment of the spacer elements being required, and during operation the spacer elements can accommodate different axial movements of the tubes 14 and 16.

an aperture in said second series of apertures and beingA formed so as to contact said inner tube at two other points 120 degrees from said one aperture and from one another, each segment also being formed to contact said outer tube at three points 60 degrees out of phase with the three points of contact of said inner tube.

2. An article of manufacture for use in spacing two coaxially disposed tubes radially from one another comprising a one-piece resilient wire element bent to form a closed loop, said loop having three outwardly projecting contact points for engaging the inner wall of the radially outer tube, and three inner contact points for engaging the outer wall of the radially inner tube, said inner and outer contact points being out of phase with one another, the ends of said wire element being turned together into said loop for insertion into an aperture in the wall of However, the resilient positioned in alignmentl the inner tube for anchoring the wire element in place on the latter.

InY combination an outer imperforate tube; an inner tube of smaller diameter disposed coaxially within said outer tube; a series of apertures longitudinally arranged in the wall of the smaller tube; and a plurality of spacer elements disposed between said tubes for maintaining said tubes in spaced relation; vsaid spacer elements being ,v formed from resilient wire segments, each segment engenerally in a circling the inner tube and having -its ends extending into one of the aforementioned apertures, and being formed to contact the inner tube at two other points; each segment also being formed to contact said outer tube at points out of phase with-the three points of con- 15 tact with said inner tube.`

4. In combination anA outer-'.imperforate tube; an inner tube of smaller diameter disposed coaxially within said outer tube; a series of apertures longitudinally arranged in thewvalluofy the vsmaller tube; and a plurality of between said'tubes for mainspacer elements dispo-sed taining said tubes in spaced relation; said spacer elements being formed from resilient wire' segments, each segment encircling the inner tube and having its ends extending v)into one of the aforementioned apertures, and being 25V formed to contact the inner tube at a point spaced from the apertures; each 'segment also being' formed to contact said outer tube at points out of phase with the points of contact with the inner tube; each vsegment being located plane extending' at an tube axes; whereby during installation of the tubes the segments may be mounted on the inner tube with their ends located in the apertures, afterwhich the inner tube may be passed into the outer tube with a deection of the segments but without any disengagement of the segment ends out of the apertures.

`5. In combination an (outer imperforate tube; an inner tube of smaller diameterdisposed coaxially within said outer tube;.a series of apertures longitudinally arranged l in the wall of the smaller tube;,and a pluralityof spacer 40 elements -disposed between said tubes for maintaining said 'tubes in spaced relation; said vspacer elements being formed from resilient wire segments, each segment encirclingthe inncr tube and having its ends extending into one of the aforementioned apertures, and being formed to contact the inner tube at a point spaced from the apertures; each segment also being formed to contact said outer tube at points out of phase with the points of contactl with the inner tube.

References Cited in the tile of this patent n y UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,608 Harnett 2,213,053 Russell Aug. 27, 1940 acute angle to the l Mar. l, 1932 

